A senator in Colorado by the name of Ron Tupa has proposed a new law that would make it illegal for so called “data brokers” to possess or sell a mobile phone subscriber’s call records.

Surprisingly, it is currently legal for these companies to operate in the US, so long as no one can prove that they obtained the information illegally. The proposed law would effectively shut down companies such as LocateCell.com, which dishonestly obtain call records from wireless providers, then sell them to anyone who’s interested.

If the legislation passes, anyone caught selling another person’s call records could be sentenced to up to 18 months in jail, a $5000 fine, or both.

Cingular, Verizon, and Sprint Nextel have all taken legal action against these data sharks, and will likely support the new bill.